1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to motorcycle stands, and in particular, to stands for roadrace motorcycles.
2. Background Art
Motorcycles used in roadrace competition are not equipped with a kickstand that can be used to park the motorcycle, because safety issues dictate that kickstands be removed from motorcycles used in competition. Frequently it is not convenient or appropriate to park the motorcycle by leaning it against a wall, post, or other object. Therefore, a device is needed to support the motorcycle in an upright position when it is parked. Conventional motorcycle stands do not provide a suitable means to park a roadrace motorcycle. Conventional stands are designed to lift the front, rear, or entire motorcycle off the ground to ease maintenance (e.g., wheel changes). Many current stand designs require two operators to safely park a motorcycle; one operator must balance and stabilize the motorcycle while the other operator uses a lever-action-type jack to raise and secure the front, rear, or center of the motorcycle. It is very difficult for one operator to safely use these stands because it is difficult to stabilize the motorcycle with one hand while engaging the device with the other hand or a foot. Inevitably, situations occur where no one is immediately available to help the rider engage the stand to park the motorcycle. This is especially a problem when an exhausted rider returns to the racetrack pit area and no one is available to help park the motorcycle. The rider must either wait for a helper to arrive, or attempt to park the motorcycle without assistance. Unfortunately, riders occasionally loose control and drop their motorcycle while trying to park the motorcycle by themselves. Dropping the motorcycle can damage the motorcycle and cause personal injury. Another deficiency of some conventional stand designs is that, in an effort to keep the devices small and compact, the designs incorporate short levers that provide insufficient mechanical advantage thereby making it difficult for some operators to raise the motorcycle to the parked position. Still another deficiency of some conventional stand designs is that, although one operator can safely park some types (e.g., off-road) of motorcycle, the stands cannot be used on many roadrace motorcycle designs. The final deficiency of conventional stand designs is that the rider must or should dismount the motorcycle before the motorcycle can be parked.
Still another deficiency of some conventional stand designs is that they engage only the lower part of the motorcycle wheel and do not engage the top part of the wheel. This design requires the lower part of the wheel to be tightly engaged (i.e., squeezed) which makes it difficult to park and un-park the motorcycle and can damage or deform race tires which are often made of soft rubber compounds. Also, many conventional stands can not be used to secure a motorcycle during transport in a manner that does not require the motorcycle's front suspension forks to be compressed in order to stabilize the motorcycle.
Various devices and methods have been proposed to provide a means to park a motorcycle that is not equipped with a kickstand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,235 discloses a lever-action lift jack that is intended to be used to raise and support a motorcycle. The device does not provide a suitable means to park a roadrace motorcycle because the device engages the midsection of the undercarriage of the motorcycle, which is frequently covered by a fairing or blocked by components (e.g., exhaust system). Moreover, it is difficult for one person to safely park a motorcycle because it must be balanced and stabilized with one hand while using the other hand to position and engage the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 518,224 teaches a lever-action lift jack that is intended to be used to raise and support an "off-road" motorcycle. The device includes a bike-engaging and lifting rectangular platform pivotally secured to a base and to a foot-lever that is used to pivot and raise the rectangular platform. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 518,224 suffers from many of the same shortcomings as the '235 patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 301,817 discloses a security stand device that is intended to support a motorcycle in an upright manner and prevent the theft of the motorcycle. The device includes a base member, a backbone member that cradles the motorcycle wheel, a ramp, left and right side supports, support ribs to stabilize the side supports, a means to anchor the device to a supportive surface, and a locking cable. U.S. Pat. No. 301,817 teaches a complex, expensive means to park a motorcycle that would be difficult to use because it is not portable, but rather must be anchored to a supportive surface.
Other motorcycle stand designs are also known for parking a motorcycle that is not equipped with a kickstand. These other designs are similar to devices described above, in that they incorporate a lever-action-type jack to raise and secure either the front or rear of the motorcycle. These designs do not provide a suitable means to park a roadrace motorcycle because it is difficult for one operator to safely park a motorcycle since they must balance and stabilize the motorcycle with one hand while using the other hand to position and engage the device.
Whatever the precise merits, features and advantages of the above cited motorcycle stands, they do not achieve or fulfill the purposes of the present invention. There is no suitable alternative to the present invention that provides a superior method to park a motorcycle not equipped with a kickstand.